


Day Seven: Not While I'm Around

by firstdegreefangirl



Series: Christopher Diaz is a National Hero Week 2020 [7]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buck sings like Josh Groban, Buck sings showtunes, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Dad Evan "Buck" Buckley, Developing Relationship, Eddie doesn't get the reference but loves it anyway, Father-Son Relationship, M/M, Protectiveness, Singing, Sweeney Todd References, josh groban - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23868547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl
Summary: Eddie come over to pick Chris up, and walks into a moment between him and Buck that means more than he can say.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Christopher Diaz is a National Hero Week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712986
Comments: 12
Kudos: 264





	Day Seven: Not While I'm Around

**Author's Note:**

> It's important that you all know that I'm imagining Buck's singing to sound just like Josh Groban in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl_Mrk0Bz80

Eddie sighs as he gets out of his truck and walks up Buck’s driveway, flicking through the keys on his keyring. He finds the one he’s looking for and slides it into the lock, turning the doorknob and pushing his way carefully into Buck’s foyer.

(You never know what you’ll find when he and Chris hang out, is the thing, so the door really does have to be opened slowly. He still hasn’t gotten to live down the untimely demise of a domino track that he accidentally nudged with his toe, or the pillow fort he toppled over when the door swung open too fast.)

He scans his eyes across the loft, but nothing seems out of place. That is, until his gaze lands on his sort-of-maybe boyfriend and his son, curled together on Buck’s sofa. Christopher's asleep, half-sprawled across Buck’s lap, legs stretched out behind him. He’s wearing a green T-shirt that hangs massively off of his child-sized frame, even lying down, and Eddie quickly recognizes it as one of Buck’s favorites to wear on days off from the station. 

There’s a hand scratching gently through Chris’s hair, playing with the soft curls, and Eddie lets his eyes trace it up through the wrist and arm, a broad shoulder connecting it to Buck’s face. 

Eddie hadn’t noticed that his lips were moving. But now that he can see it, he listens, trying to pick out the words. It takes him a moment to figure out that the soft melody floating through his head is coming from Buck’s mouth, that he’s singing softly. And it takes him another moment to make out the lyrics, but when he does, he draws in a breath that he doesn’t let back out.

_No one’s gonna hurt you_  
_No one’s gonna dare_  
_Others will desert you_  
_Not to worry, listen I’ll be there_  
_Demons will charm you with a smile_  
_For a while_  
_But in time_  
_Nothing can harm you_  
_Not while I’m around_

The song ends, and Eddie lets the silence hang for a moment before he steps forward and clears his throat, letting Buck think he’s only just arrived. When he hears the noise, Buck looks up and smiles broadly at him.

“Hey, Eds! Survived the shift?” He’s whispering, still toying with Chris’s hair, but there’s no mistaking the joy on his face. 

“Made it through, yeah.” He smiles back and starts crossing the room to stand directly in front of the couch. 

Maybe he and Buck haven’t defined exactly what their relationship is yet, where the line is between friendship and the something more they’re tilting toward, but whatever it is, it’s the best sort of family Eddie’s ever had. 

That's what he’s thinking about when he squats down and runs a knuckle gently across Christopher’s cheekbone. 

“Looks like you guys had a big afternoon.” He rolls his eyes up to look at Buck and gestures to the bright green fabric.

“Yeah, we made Kool-Aid. There was, um, there was some splashage. His shirt is hanging in the bathroom; I think I got the splotch out.” 

“Eh, not the end of the world if you didn’t. I’ll bet this made his whole day.” Eddie rests his hand on Buck’s knee and smiles. “Seriously, thanks for watching him. He always has a great time.”

“Of course, it’s really not a problem, Eddie. He’s a pretty OK kid.” Buck rolls his eyes and winks.

“He’s turning out alright.” Eddie raises his eyebrows and slides his hand just far enough up Buck’s thigh to press a gentle kiss to his kneecap and roll back onto his heels.

He thinks about mentioning the singing, but he doesn't know what he’d say. It didn’t feel like a moment that was looking for an audience, even if one had quite literally walked through the front door. 

Besides, what is there to say? Thanks for singing to my kid? That’s not the point, not what had stuck out to Eddie when he saw how tender and gentle Buck was being. There aren’t words to put to it, nothing he can say to describe how much his heart swelled when he saw the way Buck smiled at Christopher as he sang. It’s not a song Eddie recognizes, but there’s no mistaking the protective tone, the lyrics about keeping his son safe. 

There’s nothing he can say to tell Buck how much it means to him that Buck cares, looks out for Chris like this, even in the moments where there’s nothing to protect him from.

“Eddie?” He guesses that he’s gone quiet for too long, based on the quizzical way that Buck is looking down at him. “Where’d you go?”

“Nah, I’m here.” Eddie shifts to sit cross-legged, leaning against the front of the couch and tipping his head to settle beside his son’s on Buck’s thigh. Buck’s free hand comes down to scratch through Eddie’s hair too, and he sighs and relaxes. “Just … thinking.”

“About?” Buck hums and twists a lock of Eddie’s hair around one of his fingers.

“You, mostly,” he admits. “How good you are with Chris. Never thought I’d find someone who loves him as much as his mom and I do. Did.” He stiffens a little bit when he mentions Shannon, but the tension seeps away again when Buck presses his fingers a little harder into Eddie’s scalp and rubs in tight circles. “Anyway, just … thank you. For loving him. Us.”

“He makes it easy.” Buck smiles fondly at the sleeping weight in his lap. “You? Jury’s still out. But I suppose the two of you come as a set, so you can stick around.” He pauses for a moment, his hand going still before he starts massaging again. “Speaking of, you want to stay tonight? Won’t have to move him in and out of houses, and … we can--” he starts over. “My bed is big enough for us both; we’ve proven that before.”

“Well …" Eddie pretends to think it over. “I guess you do live closer to Chris’s school, and it would be nice to have a few extra minutes in the morning, get to sleep in a bit.”

“Yeah?” Buck raises an eyebrow at him. 

“Yeah.” Eddie smiles teasingly and takes a breath, figuring out exactly how to phrase his next thought. “Especially if there’s someone here to protect us.”

Buck’s eyes widen a bit, but if he realizes that Eddie heard him singing, he doesn’t say anything as he slides his hand down to cup Eddie’s cheek. Eddie turns his head to press a kiss against Buck’s palm as he replies.

“Always. Nothing’s gonna harm you. Not while I’m around.”

**Author's Note:**

> That's that! It's been a great week; thanks for reading, and stay tuned for everything that I haven't been posting all week so I could keep up with this lol  
> xoxo


End file.
